Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes
These Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes feature a cherry and almond sponge, a hidden cherry jam centre, and are topped with almond buttercream, flaked almonds, and a glacé cherry.
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Cherry Bakewell
Cherry Bakewell is an absolute classic here in the UK — and I am here for it! Traditionally, a Cherry Bakewell is a tart made with shortcrust pastry, almond frangipane, and cherry jam.
I absolutely adore these flavours — cherry and almond together make the most delicious combination ever. So, I thought I’d combine my love of Cherry Bakewell with my love of cupcakes and create these Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes.
There are already a couple of Cherry Bakewell recipes on my blog, including my Cherry Bakewell Millionaire’s Shortbread and my Cherry Bakewell Cheesecake. But as it’s been such a long time since I shared those, I thought it was time for a new Cherry Bakewell recipe.
Cherry and Almond Cupcake
Let’s start with the cherry and almond cupcakes. I wanted to make these as Cherry Bakewell as possible, so I added glacé cherries, almond extract, and flaked almonds to the cupcake mixture.
I cut the cherries into halves and quarters to create different-sized chunks throughout the cupcakes. If you find that your cherries sink to the bottom, you can coat them in a little self-raising flour before adding them to the mixture — this should help stop them from sinking.
Related Recipes
Cherry Bakewell Millionaire Shortbread
No-Bake Cherry Bakewell Cheesecake
I used self-raising flour for these cupcakes, along with some baking powder to give them an extra rise. If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own by adding 2 tsp of baking powder to 150g of plain flour.
I used three large eggs for this recipe. As a general rule, I use one large egg for every 50g of sugar. I also used baking spread, but that’s just personal preference — you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Baking Cups
I love these baking cups — I always use them when making cupcakes, and I honestly think they’re fab.
They’re a great size and, because they have flat bases, you can bake them on a flat baking tray. There’s no need for a muffin tin, as they hold their shape well during baking.
Baking
I bake cupcakes for around 15 minutes in my oven. All ovens vary, though, so you may find yours bakes a little quicker or slower. There are lots of factors that can affect baking time, including how full the cases are.
If you’re concerned that your oven is running too hot or cold, an oven thermometer can help — some ovens can be out by as much as 20°C.
The cupcakes should be golden brown and spring back when gently pressed. If you press the top and it leaves a dent, pop them back in the oven for another 3–5 minutes and test again.
Almond Buttercream and Decoration
As with all my cupcakes and cakes, I’ve used an American-style buttercream. In my opinion, it’s the easiest to make — it’s simply a mix of unsalted butter and icing sugar.
You do need to use unsalted butter for the buttercream. If you use something like baking spread, it will be very soft and overly sweet, and it won’t hold its shape when piped onto the cupcakes.
I added almond extract to the buttercream for extra almond flavour, but this is optional.
Once the cupcakes had cooled, I used a cupcake corer to remove the centres and filled them with cherry jam. I then replaced the removed sponge before decorating.
To decorate, I piped on the almond buttercream using a 2D piping tip, sprinkled over some flaked almonds, and topped each one with the classic glacé cherry.
Alternatives
I used both flaked almonds and almond extract in the cupcake sponge — but you can use just one if you prefer.
I also added cherry jam to the centre of each cupcake, but this is completely optional.
Equipment
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Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes
- 150 g Unsalted Butter or Baking Spread
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 150 g Self-Raising Flour
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 75 g Glace Cherries (halved and quartered)
- 75 g Flaked Almond
For the Almond Buttercream
- 200 g Unsalted Butter
- 400 g Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 3-4 tbsp Whole Milk (optional)
For the Decoration
- Cherry Jam
- 12 Glace Cherries
- Flaked Almonds
Instructions
To Make the Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners and leave to one side.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add in the flour, eggs, baking powder, almond extract, glace cherries and flaked almonds and beat until combined.
- Split the mixture into the cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. You will know the cupcakes are ready when they are springy to the touch.
- Leave them to cool for 15-20 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool fully.
For the Almond Buttercream
- Beat the butter in a large bowl for a few minutes until soft. Gradually add in the icing sugar and beat until combined and smooth.
- Add in the almond extract and beat until combined.
- If the buttercream is too thick, add 1 tbsp of milk and mix. Repeat until the buttercream is the desired consistency. Leave it to one side.
- Remove the centre of each cupcake and fill with the cherry jam. Push the removed pieces of cupcake back on top.
- Pipe the almond buttercream onto the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and top with a glacé cherry.
Notes
- These Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes will last 3+ days in an airtight container.
- I used these baking cups.